anglesea_leaves

These leaves were collected from the Anglesea locality, unique for the incredible preservation of the leaves. These are organically preserved leaves that have been mummified for about 45 million years. A close look reveals unique details, for instance, the leaf in the bottom row, second to the right has dark blotches all over it, a sign of something feeding on the leaf while it was alive (probably an insect). The leaf on the left has "pocket domatia", which is a chamber that the plant forms between its veins, which houses things like mites or ants. It's often a symbiotic relationship: the mites and ants get a little house, the leaf gets protection (ants) or cleaning (mites), says Reichgelt. These leaves are specimens of the Melbourne Museum, donated by David Christophel who was an American paleobotanist who lived and worked in Australia (Contributed photo).